Leave the Cradle
by Mariko Azrael
Summary: Trip isn't alone. [Time Force-verse, pre-series, mild Trip x Katie]


Disclaimer: Power Rangers Time Force belongs to Saban and Disney, not me.

Author's Notes/Warnings: This is pre-series. The title is paraphrased from Babylon 5. Everything about Xybrain culture mentioned here is entirely of my own creation. If it contradicts canon in any way, please tell me so I can fix it (or at least label it AU). And this is my first time writing for the series and the characters. Consider yourself forewarned.

His family had taken his decision to join Time Force much better than he had expected. His mother embraced him, and told him she loved him. His father drove him to town to pick up his uniforms and the materials he would need for school that day. But as grateful as he was for their support, he knew it wouldn't mean much unless he had **his** blessing, as he had blessed all Xybrians who left the village before him. So Trip of the Regis clan dealt with the fact that he had always been uncomfortable in his traditional robes, packed some supplies, and made the day long trek to the deserts so he could see the Shaman.

It had been nearly a year since he had seen him last, but the Shaman was unchanged. He seemed to be immune to the passage of time. Knowing it would be well after dark until he noticed him, Trip wrapped the thick blanket he had for protection from the chill of the night around him, and waited.

Finally, Trip could hear him in his head. _Look at the stars._

_What are we looking for tonight? Truth? Enlightenment? Wisdom from our ancestors?_ Trip looked down at the ground as he thought. He loved stargazing, even as a child, but tonight he had other things on his mind.

_No, child. Not tonight._ Trip felt the weariness in the elder's heart, and a sense of dread… and determination came over him. _Tonight, I am thinking of how my grandchild will soon be among those distant points of light I have looked to all these years._

_If you don't want me to go---_

The elderly Xybrain eased himself onto the ground. _Trip, I could tell you that if you leave, you can never come home again, or I could tell you how proud I am of you for choosing what we both know will be a hard path to travel._ He began to draw the ancient patterns in the sand. _I can see in your soul that you've already made your decision to leave the cradle. Any interference on my part would dishonor it... And it wouldn't stop you from leaving me._

_Grandfather…_

_You have had my blessing from the beginning._ He took some stones from his pouch and began placing them in the customary positions, as he had every other they spoke together under the stars. _But you know it won't be easy. Very few of us leave our mother world. And even on Earth, where many different races have come together, they have yet to fully accept those who can see into their heart and what they keep hidden there._

He looked up from his work to his grandson, and the sorrow Trip sensed from someone normally so serene was unnerving. _From now on, Trip, part of you will always be alone._

_Really, Grandfather? Because right now it feels like **all** of me is alone._

Trip slung his backpack over his shoulder as he headed to his single dorm. Robotics class had gone badly… again. The material was no problem; he had been tinkering with anything mechanical he could find as long as he could remember. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore the stray thoughts he picked up from his classmates.

_Do they really think I'd do something like reading their minds without their permission? Or I would peek into the Professor's head! It's not even something I can completely control, but they're accusing me of eavesdropping and cheating!_

Trip wanted to be angry with them, but this wasn't Xybria. Thoughts were private here, and he was beginning to understand why. All he could do was try to convince them that he wasn't spying on their thoughts, but all he had managed so far was making people think he was a stammering idiot on top of the eavesdropping and cheating.

Suddenly in no hurry to return to his room, Trip collapsed onto a nearby bench. He had wanted this… really. Xybria had been his home, but there were entire worlds beyond his home, and he had wanted more than anything to know what they were like and what they had to offer him, even if it meant being the only one of his kind wherever he went.

But what did he have to show for it? He had no friends, people were afraid of his abilities. He didn't belong. Not with Time Force, not with the humans and the other non-worlders, not anywhere.

_It feels more like I fell out of the cradle instead of leaving it._

"For the love of--- will you just **work** already!"

Whoever she was, she was loud enough to snap Trip out of his brooding. Looking up, he saw a dark-skinned human cadet a head taller than him (at least), trying to beat her computer into submission. He couldn't help but wince in sympathy for the poor machine. He leaned over, not wanting to startle her.

"Um… maybe I could help?"

There was no way she couldn't tell he was the Xybrain. It was right there on his forehead, after all. He waited for her to come up with an excuse to leave, but she didn't. "If you think you can make this hunk of junk work, be my guest." She huffed as she handed him her abused computer.

He gave it a quick look over, and found the problem right away. It was an easily made mistake, and even easier to fix. "There. Try it now."

She turned it on again, and the holographic image of a middle-aged couple and a young man who looked to be about her age appeared. The cadet's face lit up immediately. "Thank you so much!" Before he knew what was happening, she grabbed his face and kissed him on the cheek. "What's your name?"

_Don't just stutter! Tell her!_ "Um, uh… I-it's Trip."

He didn't have time to tell her she was welcome, or even realize that it was his first kiss, because she grabbed his arm with an inhumanly strong grip. "Come on Trip, let's get some dinner. My treat! It's the least I can do for you! "

Trip was about to say that she had already thanked him… but then it dawned on him that she was the nicest person he had met so far since he came to Earth. So he figured the least he could do was repay her for her kindness.

"It's my family in the picture. My parents and my younger brother." The very friendly cadet, who Trip had finally learned was called Katie, explained as they shared their rations in the cafeteria. "Being away from them is the only bad thing about being here. I know I probably sound naive, but I stay in touch with them as much as I can." She took a sip of her drink. "What about your family?"

"We, um, don't really keep in touch."

"Were they against you joining Time Force?"

_You have had my blessing from the beginning._

_… part of you will always be alone._

"… Yes and no."

Katie placed her hand on his. He was a little surprised, since he hadn't met somebody this willing to touch other people since he left Xybria, but he didn't mind. "Have you tried speaking to them? Explaining your side?"

Trip shrugged, not entirely sure how to explain to someone who wasn't Xybrian. "I haven't spoken to my family since I left."

She squeezed his hand gently, a far cry from the girl who had dragged him across campus an hour ago. "Why not?"

"There's not much of a need for correspondence when you need on a planet of telepaths." He swallowed, hard. "Of course, when you're the only one, it can be a problem."

She gave him an intense look. "That's not fair."

"Maybe not, but I knew it'd be that way, and still left---" Trip's explanation died off as Katie gave him a bone-crushing hug.

"You're not alone." Katie murmured fiercely as she hugged him even tighter. "Not anymore. As long as I'm here, you'll have someone."

As much as Trip would've liked to be able to breathe again, he couldn't help but smile. _I'm not alone anymore…  
_  
Katie set him free and patted him on the back. "Walk you home?"

"Okay. It'll be nice to have some company for a change."


End file.
